How to Make Two Tone Cloth Placemats

I want to replace my placemats for the holidays. Me being me, I figure why buy, when I can DIY? 

 Learn how to make a nosew and sew versions of my Christmas cloth napkins here.

This project will also help me in my New Year’s Resolution to use my fabric scraps for impromptu projects before buying new fabric.  I made a deal with myself that I cannot start on the sewing room/guest room/room where-furniture-goes-to-die remodel I want to do until I do something with all of the fabric and supplies I’ve been hanging on to for Someday.

Today is Someday.

How to Sew Two Tone Cloth Placemats

You will need:

(1) 13 inch wide by 12 ½ inch long piece of dark green fabric

(1) 4 inch wide by 12 ½ inch long piece of cream fabric

(1) 15 inch wide by 12 ½ inch long piece of light green fabric

Pins

Thread

Sewing machine

Scissors

Iron and ironing board

Make it:

1. With right sides together (that’s the pretty side of the fabric) pin the 4 inch wide by 12 ½ inch long piece of cream fabric to the 13 inch wide by 12 ½ inch long piece of dark green fabric.

  

2. Sew the two pieces of fabric together with the sewing machine.

3. Remove the pins and press the seam open with the iron and ironing board.

Using a Pekingese to press a seam is greener than using an electric iron Lisa!

Tip: You might want to ask your camera hog of a dog to not park himself on your project when you take a photo of it for your blog.

   

4. Pin the front of the placemat to the back of the placemat right sides together.

 I'm pinning with real straight pins here, not pinning on Pinterest.

5. Use the sewing machine to sew the layers together. Make sure you leave a gap in the side seam. You will use this gap to turn the placemat right side out.

I use two pins on each side to mark where I want to leave the gap in the seam.

6. Turn the placemat right side out via the gap in the seam. Use the iron and ironing board to press the seams.

  Turning time!

7. Pin the gap in the seam together and use the sewing machine to top stitch around the outside of the placemat to sew the gap closed and give your placemats a more professional look. Optional: If your sewing machine does fancy decorative stitches, you might want to try using them for the topstitching for added interest.

 Finished!

12. Slap that placemat on your table and chow down!

Since spilling food on placemats is my superpower, I made more placemats than my table can hold. That way I have extras on hand while I wash the dirty placemats.

I like my new placemats but they aren’t very holiday like. Come back tomorrow to see how I add a little shimma shimma pizzazz to my DIY placemats!

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